Embraced by Darkness
by Spiritual Tao
Summary: A betrayal within the ranks has plunged the country into darkness. Now as X.A.N.A. threatens to enslave the entire world, the lyoko gang must rise up to defeat their greatest foe, and hopefully save an old friend.
1. A Meeting of Tyrants

Chapter 1:

__

"A Meeting of Tyrants"

Yumi Ishiyama studied her reflection in her bedroom mirror with a satisfied smile. She struck another sultry pose, admiring the black satin dress that hugged her figure. It was not often she dressed in such luxurious attire, but tonight was a special occasion. She was to have a very important guest over for dinner and she had to look her best.

She turned to a young raven haired girl who was knelt beside the wall nearby. "My dear do you think this dress suites me? Be honest. I want to look my best for when my darling Ulrich sees me at dinner tonight."

The girl gave a submissive nod and put on a weak smile. "You look absolutely beautiful Miss Yumi. The dress looks perfect on you."

Yumi's smile melted into a dark frown and her eyes locked upon the girl with a cold, foreboding glare. "Don't you mean _I_ look perfect in the dress?"

The girl sunk lower to the floor. "Of course Miss Yumi. That's what I had meant to say."

Yumi looked down at the girl in disgust. "Get up!" She commanded fiercely.

The girl did as she was told, rising slowly until her face was at level with Yumi's. She kept her eyes lowered towards the floor, too afraid to face the piercing glare that other girl was giving her.

"And look at me when I'm speaking to you," Yumi seized the girl by the chin and dragged her face towards her own, forcing her eyes erect so that she could see clearly into the dark pupils. She could feel the girl trembling in her grasp. She smiled wickedly and thrust her face away. "Honestly Sissy, a servant should know better than to disrespect her mistress."

"I-I'm sorry Miss Yumi. It will never happen again," Sissy stuttered timidly with a deep bow.

"Speaking of happenings…," Yumi turned her back to Sissy and began to pace slowly across the bedroom, "There is a little matter that I've been wanting to discuss with you. I noticed the other day in my darling's chambers you were looking quite fondly at my dear Ulrich, were you not?" Yumi paused for a moment and turned to face Sissy, a stern look set upon her face.

"N-No Miss Yumi. I only took a glance, but it was nothing more. I swear."

Yumi moved slowly towards Sissy, her expression sinking into deep contemplation. She stopped only inches from her, fixing her gaze into her dark brown eyes. "So, it was only a glance you say?"

"Yes Miss Yumi. Nothing more."

Yumi gave a nod of satisfaction and turned her back to Sissy, making as if to resume her pacing, but then spun around quickly and struck her across the cheek with a fierce backhand, nearly knocking the girl off balance. "I don't like being lied to Sissy, especially not by a lowly servant girl like yourself. Now I will ask you again. Did you, or did you not make eyes at my Ulrich?"

Sissy fought the tears that wanted so badly to spill fourth, knowing better than to show such emotions in front of Yumi. She clutched the tender spot on her cheek as the fresh sensation of pain coursed through the reddened flesh and forced her eyes to make contact with those of her mistress. In a weak voice, almost a whisper, she responded. "Yes Miss Yumi."

At once Yumi's anger seemed to vanish completely, a thin smile forming on her lips, and she calmly returned to pacing loosely to and fro. "See? That wasn't so hard, was it? I'm really quite an understanding girl, you know. I mean, Ulrich is a very hansom gentleman and it is only natural that you would want to admire him, perhaps even picture yourself being with him in romantic and intimate ways. There's certainly no shame in that… _but_… there is just one thing you need to remember…" Yumi's expression darkened again and her eyes locked back onto Sissy's, taking a rigid posture as she loomed over her servant. "Ulrich is mine and mine alone, and I certainly do not appreciate it when others get it in their heads that they can oogle my darling like he's some prize up for grabs. Now I can let your little error slide this time, but I warn you. If I ever catch you gazing at my Ulrich in such a manner again I will have those baby browns of yours gouged out of your skull, understand?"

Sissy gave a timid nod. "Y-Yes Miss Yumi. P-Perfectly."

"Good. Come now. We have a dinner to attend, and I don't want to keep my darling waiting." Yumi spun on her heels and swiftly exited the bedroom. Sissy obediently followed her mistress, moving quickly to keep up with her mistresses rapid pace.

The pair came to pass beneath a tall archway that led into a vast dining hall, at the center of which stood a large polished mahogany table. Only three places were set, one at each end of the table, and one at the corner near the foremost seat, and a fancy spread of fine wares and dining utensils adorned each place. Standing behind the corner seat was a boy dressed in formal attire, a dark suit and tie with a white shirt tucked beneath, his dusty brown hair combed back neatly atop his head. His eyes were like stone, and his mouth was creased into a grim frown. On either side of him stood two hulking guards, each with one giant hand placed on the boy's shoulders, holding him firmly in place.

Yumi spotted the boy and smiled brightly. She strode gracefully towards him while Sissy took her place against the far wall where several other servants stood in an organized row. "My, my, don't we look handsome tonight." She cooed as she trailed a finger down the length of his jacket. The boy simply eyed her with the same cold glare, his frown deepening even further. "I see we're still in a sour mood, aren't we my dear Ulrich. You should be happy. Tonight we celebrate a new beginning." She drew her face closer to his own and began to tousle his hair playfully between her fingertips. "You have no chance of escaping my darling so you might as well relax and go with the flow. Besides, you have so much more to gain than you think." She leaned forward to kiss Ulrich, but he recoiled sharply from her lips. She only smiled and slid her fingertips gently across his cheek. "So that's how it is? Fine! You'll come around eventually."

Yumi moved to her own seat and one of the servants, a short redheaded girl, pulled out the chair and offered it to her with a courteous gesture. Yumi took her seat without a second glance and motioned the girl to her side. "Tell me Milly, has our guest arrived yet?"

The redhead bowed respectfully. "Yes Miss Yumi. He is being entertained in the guest hall. Tamiya has already gone to bring him in."

"Good." Yumi waved the girl off and she gave another bow before returning to her corner. She then turned her attention back to Ulrich who was still standing behind his chair. "Take a seat my dear. It is far more comfortable than standing, I can assure you, and you will not be able to eat otherwise." Yumi waved her hand through the air and the chair immediately slid away from the table.

Ulrich didn't respond, but instead remained unmoving, staring blankly at the wall ahead of him, refusing even an acknowledging glance.

"I insist that you take a seat," Yumi said again, her voice now cold and firm.

Ulrich suddenly felt his body move forward as if he had been possessed. He fought against the pull with all his might, but his legs moved against his will, carrying him towards the table despite his desperate effort to resist. His body sat itself down in the chair which then slid itself back towards the table on its own. He then felt control return to him. He threw a dark glare at Yumi. She simply flashed him a devilish smile.

"You really should try to be more compliant my dear. It would be a lot easier on yourself if you did, not that I mind. It's so much fun to see you resist. Ah, look! Here comes Tamiya with our guest. Now why don't you try to behave yourself."

A young black girl emerged through the opposite archway followed by a massive dark figure. It was a frightening form, a creature that appeared to be made up of pure dark energy, faceless except for a single gleaming red eyes that peered ominously out from the mass that was its head. It was adorned in heavy black armor that seemed itself to be a manifestation of the creatures own dark essence. It walked with heavy footsteps that sent shivers through the floor and echoed throughout the hall with an unearthly metallic clang.

The girl approached the table and gave a courteous bow. "Miss Yumi, I present to you lord X.A.N.A. of Lyoko." She gave another bow and quickly moved off to the wall where the other servants stood. The creature approached its seat and bowed across the table towards Yumi. Ulrich glared at it with an unimaginable hatred.

"Mistress Yumi is it now? I see you have done well for yourself." The creature's voice was deep and sibilant, reverberating throughout the entire room in a ghastly manner as if it weren't coming from the creature itself, but rather from everywhere at once.

"Indeed I have. Take a seat my friend. We have much to discuss." Yumi extended her hand in invitation towards the empty seat opposite to her. The armored behemoth nodded and took the seat before him, the chair groaning under its apparent weight.

"This is a great turning point for us, Yumi. As we speak my minions construct new towers all across the continent. Our worlds are merging seamlessly and once my global network is complete, our worlds will become one, and then our powers will become limitless."

"I must say X.A.N.A., I had my doubts as to your ability to perform this job, but you've pleasantly surprised me. You literally have the entire country at its knees, the way you were able to seize control of the nation's entire military foundation and flawlessly nullify any and all resistance. I'm impressed"

"I could not have done it without your assistance of course, tricking your friends into helping you to free me from Xanadu's core and giving me access to city mainframe. Once there it was mere child's play to infect every critical network in the entire country."

While Yumi and X.A.N.A. talked amongst themselves, servants were busy filling the table with all manners of exquisite dishes. Ulrich looked on with disgust as former classmates and teachers from the boarding school worked feverishly to serve Yumi for fear of their lives. He spotted Sissy, standing in the corner along with a few other girls, some he recognized and some he didn't. She was a trembling mess, completely unlike her old self. Months of abuse will do that to a person. Sure, she was never the nicest girl in the world, but here she was living like a dog under Yumi's heel. Nobody deserved to be treated like that. He wished that he could somehow do something to help them all, but he knew there was nothing he could do. Yumi was far too powerful for him to stop alone. It would take a miracle just for him to escape from this prison, let alone free everybody else under Yumi's control.

"Ulrich dear, you haven't touched your food."

Ulrich snapped out of his reverie and noticed Yumi eyeing him with curious amusement.

"You know you really should try this. It is quite good." Yumi took a forkful from her plate and bit into it, her face melting into an expression of pure ecstasy. "Mmm, that's exquisite. Go ahead. Try some."

Ulrich folded his arms in defiance and leaned back in his seat. He refused to eat any food made by slave labor.

Yumi's lips curled into a sinister smile. It was a look that Ulrich had learned to hate since the first days of his imprisonment. "Guards, it seems my dear Ulrich is having a little trouble with his food," she chimed to the two hulking giants still standing behind his seat. "Be a dear and give him a hand."

The two guards exchanged menacing grins. They seemed to have been waiting for just such an order and cracked their knuckles with eager anticipation. Ulrich immediately snatched up his fork and stabbed it into his food, jamming the utensil it into his mouth and chewing through a deep scowl.

"Oh, never mind," Yumi cooed. "It seems my dear has found his appetite after all." She waved the two guards off with a flick of her wrist. Both looked rather disappointed at not having a chance to torture the boy, but obeyed their mistress unquestioningly.

"Now, as I was saying…" Yumi returned her attention to her conversation with wraithlike creature sitting across from her. "We have accomplished much over these past several months. The capital is ours and the rest of the country is powerless to stop us. It is only a matter of time before we've seized the whole of France in our stranglehold, and then the rest of the world will be only just a step away. _But_… just one problem remains though."

X.A.N.A. nodded in understanding. "The resistance."

"Lyoko gave them powers as well, and it seems that as our worlds merge they can use their power on earth just as we can. My old friends work desperately to stop me from achieving my goal of world domination. They are the biggest threat to us, and if we do not stop them soon they may actually find a way to hurt us."

"Their Lyokian powers continue to increase. Even with the improvements to my monsters they prove to be very difficult to extinguish. They continue to evade capture and I still can't seem to find out where they're hiding."

"Yes, I believe we owe that to Jeremie." Yumi rapped her fingers against the table rhythmically as she fell into deep contemplation. "He's smart… far to smart for his own good. He is the very heart of the resistance and the force that drives them in their endless siege against us. If only we could just kill him, then the others would be fall like insects to our forces, but old habits die hard and it seems our friend likes to play in the shadows. We need to drive him out into the open, but how?"

The conversation ended abruptly when a large explosion rocked the castle walls, sending a shiver through the dining hall. A cloud of smoke came spewing into the room through the large archway along with the gruesome remains of one of X.A.N.A.'s monsters.

X.A.N.A. leapt up from its seat and a tendril of dark energy seeped from its hand and formed an enormous black blade. "It's the resistance. They've come."

"They've come for my dear Ulrich," Yumi said with a dark expression. "Well they won't get very far. They've just made a costly mistake. There is no way in Hell I'm going to let them get out of here alive."


	2. A Daring Rescue

Chapter 2:

"A Daring Rescue"

The dining hall was in a state of pandemonium. A haze of floating debris poured into the room and the servants scrambled for their lives towards the nearest exits. Yumi leaned over the table, supporting her weight on her palms as she eyed the archway with hawk like vigilance. She scanned through the floating cloud of dust, on the lookout for any signs of movement. X.A.N.A. also watching the archway carefully, standing tall, but relaxed, the creature's weapon swaying casually at its side. Its crimson eye gleamed with the anticipation of battle.

Ulrich had hoped to take this moment to make an escape, but the two guards assigned to him had moved in and pinned him to his seat with a firm hand placed on each shoulder. He struggled weakly against their hold, but he knew there was no getting away, not that it really mattered anyway. He knew his freedom was just on the other side of that archway.

The room had fallen into dead silence. The last of the servants had fled and it was now just the three of them staring intently at the dining hall entrance. Yumi then noticed something, a silhouette in the settling dust. She leaned forward even further and squinted hard into the haze of debris. There was an unmistakable familiarity, the way the head tapered to a point the top. A flash of gold and purple in the parting dust quickly confirmed her suspicion.

"Laser Arrow!" The figure's voice rang through the hall and at once three golden glints came flying through the archway, soaring directly towards X.A.N.A.. The black entity swung its blade with inhuman speed, deflecting each projectile as it flickered towards it with flawless accuracy. Immediately following the shots, the figure burst through the archway in a flat run, emerging fully into the light of the dining hall. It was a boy no older than 15, clothed in bright purple garments and sporting a purple catlike tail and feline paws for hands. He had long blond hair that tapered to a point at the top of his head with a distinguishing purple streak dotted in the center. He moved at X.A.N.A. with animal like quickness, his arms extended out at his sides as if to attack. The creature lowered its stance and angled its sword at a tilt, tightening its grip on the hilt. When the boy was almost upon the digital manifestation it unleashed a swift horizontal slash. At the last second, the boy sprang upwards, the blade barely missing his nimble form, and he soared high over X.A.N.A.'s head.

X.A.N.A. would have pursued the purple clad fighter, but not a second later a second figure appeared through the archway, moving towards it even faster than the first. From the parting dust a young woman emerged, garbed in pink and yellow attire, wielding a pair of twin daggers. Her bold emerald green eyes flickered with a fierce determination, her light pink hair and tapered ears quickly distinguished her from any ordinary human. She lunged full force at X.A.N.A., whirling in midair, her blades whistling at the sheer velocity of her spin. X.A.N.A. raised its sword in defense and the daggers cut into the coal black steel with an ear piercing screech, sparks raining from the blades as they scraped against one another. The girl landed nimbly at X.A.N.A.'s feet and quickly postured herself in a low crouch, instantly ready for another attack.

The first fighter landed gracefully upon the dining table and aimed a catlike paw straight towards Yumi. He secured his other hand around his wrist and cried, "Flash Arrow!" A silver arrowhead sprang from the base of his glove, heading straight for Yumi. She gave a casual smirk and raised one hand calmly in front of her. The arrowhead halted in midair, floating only inches from her outstretched palm.

"Nice try."

"Think again." The boy quickly lunged at Ulrich, knocking him free from the grasp of two guards pinning him to his seat and throwing both of them against the floor. In the next second the arrowhead exploded in a brilliant flash of light, bathing Yumi and her two guards in an immense white glow. The raven haired girl released a high pitched shriek and staggered backwards, clutching her face in her hands, completely blinded by the flash. The two guards had also been incapacitated by the flash and staggered about clumsily.

Ulrich smiled up at the boy on top of him. "Odd, am I glad to see you."

"Didn't think we'd just abandon you, did you? Here, take this. You're gonna need it." Odd wasted no time in removing a familiar brown and black sheath from off his back and offered it to Ulrich.

"My sword!" Ulrich could barely contain his excitement as he took hold of his old weapon. He couldn't believe how good it felt to hold it in his hands again.

"Good as ever. Now c'mon, let's get you out of here." Odd leapt to his feet and quickly scanned the room. Yumi and her two guards were still incapacitated from his attack, and Aelita was doing her part at keeping X.A.N.A. thoroughly occupied. "Follow me!" He motioned to Ulrich who was quickly fastening his sword to his belt. The brunette tore off his jacket and removed the blade from its sheath, giving a quick nod in response.

The two warriors made their escape through the open archway, but their movement did not go unnoticed. X.A.N.A. eyed the pair carefully as it fought against the pink haired warrior. It knew well that the young woman was only a distraction to allow the other to free Ulrich, but it didn't care. For now, it would have fun with this fighter. They were not getting out anyway.

Odd tapped a small device clipped to his ear as he and Ulrich fled the dining hall. "Odd to Hunter. I've retrieved Ulrich without a hitch. How are things looking down in your area?"

A voice sounded over a speaker in Odd's ear. "It's all clear down here. No monsters far as I can tell. William and I will hold our positions and try to keep the area clear until you arrive."

"Roger that. Odd out."

Ulrich and Odd passed beneath the archway and into the adjacent corridor. At the opposite end of the hall a girl was waiting for them, keeping an open vigilance of the next passage. She was dressed in a rather rugged looking outfit, a worn brown leather jacket with a green tank top underneath and a pair of faded green khakis secured at the waist by a black sash. Her amber colored eyes flashed with annoyance as she spotted the two boys approaching.

"Whose the girl?" Ulrich inquired as the two raced down the length of the hall.

"Oh, that's Marylyn, a real fiery one. She joined up not long after you were kidnapped. She's good. Trust me."

The two reached the end of the corridor and Odd peered around the next archway. Ulrich noticed the girl was studying him critically.

"Well, well, So this is the famous Ulrich Stern I've heard so much about. Certainly don't look like much to me. Personally I'm not impressed."

Ulrich was taken aback by the girls blatant statement. _Yeah, nice to meet you too._ He thought cynically. He turned his attention back to Odd who had just pulled his head from back from around the corner and had a rather uneasy look on his face.

"Guys, don't look now, but we've got company." Odd motioned for the others to glance around the corner. The two peered into the passage and shared identical looks of apprehension. Moving towards them was a swarm of flying creatures that could only be described as horribly mutated wasps, each bearing the eye of Lyoko on their heads.

"Hornets. Nothing we can't handle," Marylyn said casually. From her sash she removed a pair of folded Japanese style fans — they bore a strange resemblance to Yumi's old fans, Ulrich thought. With a quick flick of her wrists, the fans sprang open to reveal the intricate designs that Ulrich recognized from so many battles before.

_Those _are_ Yumi's old fans. How the hell did this girl wind up with them?_

"Laser Shield!" Odd raised his left hand in front of him and a purple, disk shaped energy shield projected from his glove. "Let's make this as quick as possible. The effects of my flash arrows won't last long and Yumi's going to be pissed at us when she recovers."

"You don't have to tell me." Ulrich raced ahead of the two and leapt high into the air, straight at one of the incoming monsters. "Impact!" He stabbed the creature in the head with the tip of his blade and promptly dismounted as it exploded in a spray of thick green fluids and entrails and mechanical shrapnel. "Impact… Impact…" He leapt from monster to monster, driving his sword into their skulls one after another. Others began to open fire on him, shooting crimson lasers from stingers mounted on their tails. He avoided their laser fire with a skillful combination of dodges and blocks with his blade, all the while taking out more and more of them, his feet never once touching the ground.

"Whoa, now I'm impressed," Marylyn remarked as she gazed with admiration at Ulrich's keen swordsmanship. She then rushed forward herself and tossed both her fans into the swarm of Hornets with skillful precision. They moved in a wide arc, slicing through several of the flying creatures before returning to their master.

"Man, if they keep this up there won't be anything left for me," Odd quipped with a wide grin. He cocked the base of his glove for reassurance and then rushed forward to join his comrades in battle.

The fight between Aelita and X.A.N.A. was not looking good for the pink haired warrior. It was all she could do to keep up with the supervirus's incredible speed and power. Aelita focused everything she had into her assault, moving with lightning quickness, attacking her adversary in rapid bursts, her daggers mere blurs to the naked eye. But X.A.N.A. blocked each and every strike with flawless precision, the dark entity commanding its blade effortlessly against her ferocious assault.

"You make quite a good diversion my dear Aelita," X.A.N.A. hissed in its sibilant tone. "Not many fighters have the skill to stand up to my blade."

Aelita ignored the creature's remark and leapt forward with another fierce slash. X.A.N.A. casually raised its sword and blocked the strike like it was nothing, and with an effortless flick of its blade sent Aelita skidding back several feet along the smooth stone floor.

"Your moves are well practiced, but they lack power. If you hope for any chance of defeating me you will have to fight a lot harder than you are now." X.A.N.A. swung its saber with blazing speed, and Aelita only just barely escaped the blades edge, the razor point cutting through the fabric of her uniform just beneath her ribs.

X.A.N.A. then dropped its guard completely, standing perfectly relaxed, letting its blade dangle leisurely at its side. It's gleaming eye seemed to be mocking her, daring her to attack it undefended. Aelita quickly formulated a strategy in her mind. X.A.N.A.'s cockiness left her an irresistible opening, and she fully intended to exploit it. She darted forward, focusing on speed over power. If she did this right, X.A.N.A. wouldn't know what hit it. The creature didn't even flinch as the distance between the two of them diminished rapidly. Aelita held her breath as she closed in on her target, positioning her daggers for their ultimate strike. She narrowed her sights on the gleaming red eye and prepared herself to deal the critical blow.

She never saw the dark blade swoop past, only hearing the metallic clatter of her daggers as they skittered across the floor, far out of reach. X.A.N.A. had suddenly disappeared from her path, and Aelita felt the looming presence at her backside. Her body twisted reflexively, but her own momentum made the movement clumsy and sluggish, and she only just caught a glimpse of the massive fist before it sank deep into her midsection, sending a shockwave of pain tearing through her body. She was sent hurtling across the room, her body slamming against the wall, the stone shattering beneath the tremendous impact. She fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, debris raining down on top of her from the freshly made cavity.

X.A.N.A. approached the fallen fighter with slow, even steps, looming over the struggling form as the girl struggled to push herself to her feet. "It's over Lyokian. You're clearly no match for me. Such a shame too. So much potential. You should have joined me when you had the chance."

Aelita managed to bring herself to her knees, and spat out a crimson stream onto the floor, turning a loathing gaze onto the dark entity. "I'd rather die."

"So be it." X.A.N.A. reared its giant saber, setting its sights on the girl's slender throat. The crimson eye glowed menacingly as the blade reached its apex, ready to begin its descent in what would be the final death blow.

It was at that moment Aelita saw her chance. She closed her eyes and in a swift motion thrust both her hand outwards, letting out a sharp cry. The wall behind her suddenly surged outwards, a large spire lancing out from the stone above her and stretching towards the dark entity, embedding itself deep into the creature's chest. X.A.N.A. seemed more surprised by the attack than injured, gazing down at the stone spike impaling its ethereal body without the slightest hint of concern. Aelita took this chance to leap to her feet and make a mad dash for the open archway.

X.A.N.A. calmly snapped the end of the spire from the wall and dislodged the stone barb from its chest, the gaping hole vanishing almost instantly. It turned to the archway where its quarry had just fled, its eye flickering with amusement. _Go ahead and run my little Aelita. The chase only makes it all the more fun._ With that the creature slowly melted into a cloud of thick black vapor. The dark tendril of energy rose rapidly towards the ceiling, vanishing completely between the cracks.

Aelita halted as soon as she was in the adjacent corridor and turned around to face the giant archway. _I'll have to do everything I can to buy the others some extra ti_me_. Yumi and X.A.N.A. will do everything they can to stop us_. She closed her eyes and extended her hands towards the archway, her face contorting into an expression of intense concentration. The ground beneath her began to vibrate and a stone wall began to rise slowly up from the floor. Aelita strained to retain her focus, willing the wall to climb higher until it had completely sealed off the archway. She slumped forward as her task was completed, breathing heavily, perspiration dotting her brow. Creating matter took a lot out of her, but she wasn't finished yet. She quickly moved to the next archway where she repeated the technique, raising a second wall to seal off the corridor completely. When she was done she could hardly stand, bracing herself against her knees as she gasped for air. She willed strength to return to her drained muscles. This was no time for breaks. She had to move quickly to catch up with the others. They were going to need her help, she was sure of it. She calmed her breathing and stood herself erect, taking in one deep revitalizing breath, and sprang forward into a rapid sprint, retracing the steps of her comrades through the maze of corridors ahead.

Yumi's sight was beginning to return to her. The white haze that had obscured her vision was now slowly lifting and she could just begin to make out the details of the dining hall. She rubbed her eyes fiercely and blinked a few times, shaking off the remaining haze. The room was completely empty now, and she could see that the dining hall entrance was now blocked off by a large stone wall. She let out a fierce cry and slammed her open palm against the dining table, her fingers drilling deep into the thick wood. With unnatural strength she hoisted the table over her head and hurled it against the wall. It exploded against the stone with a deafening crack and fell to splinters onto the floor. "When I get my hands on them, I'm going to kill them. I'll send the whole fucking ceiling down on their heads if I have to."

Odd, Ulrich and Marylyn raced through the castle at top speed. Monsters popped up left and right to hinder their progress, but they were quickly dealt with swift attacks unleashed by the three skilled warriors.

"This is almost too easy," Marylyn commented as she blocked several lasers and tossed out one of her fans. "These monsters are pushovers. Doesn't Yumi have anything stronger than these pathetic creatures."

"Don't jinx out luck Marylyn. We're not in the clear yet." Odd chided. He tapped the device on his ear and spoke again. "Odd to Hunter, we're nearing your position. How are things looking down there."

"Things are getting a little hectic here." the voice responded. "We've got Hornets and Kankrelats coming in on all sides. It's nothing we can't handle for now, but you better hurry. We won't be able to hold our position for long."

"Roger that. We're on out way. Odd out." Odd tapped the device again and turned to his comrades. "Let's pick up the pace people. Things aren't looking too good for our friends up ahead and it looks like they're going to need our help, stat."

Ulrich and Marylyn shouted their affirmations and the three immediately quickened their paces. They did their best to dodge the laser fire from the monsters that appeared, attacking only if their way was blocked or if the laser fire was becoming too heavy to dodge effectively. The numbers of monsters were beginning to thicken and the warrior were finding it more and more difficult to progress through the castle. They eventually found themselves in a lengthy gallery, lined on both sides with rows of Roman style pillars. They were being trailed from behind by a thick swarm of monsters, doing their best to shake off the hail of laser fire.

"How much farther till we reach the others," Ulrich shouted to Odd.

"Just beyond this gallery," Odd replied.

As the group neared the end of the gallery two giant stone block fell suddenly from the ceiling, crashing down right in front of the gallery exit and blocking off the escape route. They suddenly sprouted several spider like legs, and a silver eye like symbol emerged from in the center of each of their four sides. The creatures immediately opened fire on the three warriors.

"Shit! Looks like our luck just ran out," Odd remarked. "We'd better head for cover, pronto."

The three dove for the cover of the pillars as the trailing swarm accompanied the living cubes with a hail of laser fire. Ulrich and Marylyn scrambled to one side of the room while Odd raced to the other. The monsters closed in and began to fire upon the pillars. The block monsters remained in front of the gallery entrance, blocking off any chance of escape.

"Damn it! We're going to have to take out those Blocks if we want any hope of getting out of here," Ulrich shouted over the sounds of laser fire.

"No problem," replied Marylyn smugly. She peeked out from behind her pillar and tossed a fan at one of the block monsters. It flew towards it's target with pinpoint accuracy, but was deflected suddenly by an invisible force, producing a visible rippling effect at the point of impact, and was sent flying towards the ceiling.

"Damn it," Marylyn spat in aggravation, "The son of a bitch has a force field."

"One of X.A.N.A.'s upgrades," Ulrich muttered to himself. "This is not looking good."

"Guys, I hate to be the voice of burden," Odd shouted from across the room, "but it's beginning to get very crowded in here."

Indeed, more monsters were entering the gallery now from the entrance at the opposite end and the room was fast becoming filled by the swarm.

Ulrich gripped his sword tightly and let out an exasperated sigh. _Gee, some rescue this turned out to be._


End file.
